Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling promises, president of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rahul Gandhi on Friday announced that if elected to power, the Congress Government will launch a surgical strike against poverty in the country.
Alleging that the BJP-led Government at the Centre is only protecting the interests of big industrialists and millionaires, Rahul, while addressing the Paribartan Samabesh here, said the Congress, if voted to power, will bring a new law for the benefit of farmers. “They (farmers) will not have to go to jail if they are not able to repay loan,” he said. “You (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) are welcome to help people like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya flee the country after defaulting bank loans amounting to thousands of crores of rupees. But we stand for the common people, farmers and the working class and we would share their burden,” he said.
Announcing that Congress, if elected in Odisha, will enhance the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2,600 per quintal, Rahul promised that steps will be taken to resolve all problems faced by farmers. Criticising the PM for forgetting his promise to create two lakh employment opportunities, the AICC chief announced that the Congress will fill up all the 22 lakh vacancies in Government jobs within one year of coming to power at the Centre. Besides, 10 lakh jobs will also be created at the panchayat level, he said.